IOSR-JAVS   Volume-7 ~ Issue-8 ~ AUG-2014

ABSTRACT: This research work analyzed the source of agricultural credit to small holder farmers in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. This research described the various farm enterprises in the area. It determined the socio economic characteristics of the farmers, sources of credit to the farmers and the problems farmers face in loan procurement and repayment. The research showed that most farmers are married and preferred to borrow from institutions. Most of them fell at the age range of 45 years with family size of 6-10 children. Most of the farmers had informal education and operated 1-3 hectares of land for food production. The research also showed that the farmers engaged in crop production as the main enterprise and animal production as source of meat. Farmers obtained their loan from both formal and informal sources. The credit was used to increase productivity by purchasing new varieties of farm input, acquire piece of land, etc. Problems encountered by the farmers include high interest rate, illiteracy, diversion of fund, long time of loan increase their farm produce at low interest rate and with consideration of the enterprise type for period of repayment.

Keywords: Credit, farmers, loan, repayment, interest rate and inputs

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ABSTRACT: This study deals extensively with the economic analysis of bread production with high quality cassava flour in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. It was specifically carried out to examine the socio-economic characteristics of the bread producers in the study area and the profitability of bread production with high quality cassava flour in the study area. Six communities were randomly selected where ten bread producers were selected to give a total sample size of sixty respondents. Both primary and secondary data were involved in the course of this study. At primary level of this project, oral interview, personal observation as well as the use of structural questionnaire was of great importance, while secondary data were gotten from relevant literatures. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data, and gross margin was used to analyze the cost and returns in bread production. The study revealed that bread producers in the study area comprises of both male and female, bread production in the area lies in the hands of producers between the age bracket of 36-45 years. That does not mean that there are no other producers below or above this age bracket. The study also revealed the problem affecting bread production in the area which are poor power supply and road network, lack of capital and storage facilities, high cost of raw materials and labour and poor awareness of the use of high quality cassava flour in bread production in the study area as well as some recommendations made based on the findings.

Keywords: Bread, Cassava, Flour, raw materials, Ndokwa West and Nigeria.

[1]. Abass, A.B., Onabolu, A.O. and Bokanga, M. (1998). Impact of the high quality cassava flour technology in Nigeria. In root crops in the 21st century.
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[3]. Arguedas, P and Cooke, R.D (1988). Residual Cyanide concentrations during the extraction of Cassava starch. International Journal of Food Science and Technology (17): 62-251.
[4]. Aryce , F.N.A, Oduro 1, Ellis W.O. and AfIukwa J.J. (2006). The physiochemical properties of flour samples from the roots of cassava. Food control (17):916 -922.
[5]. Asiedu, J.J. (1989), processing of tropical crop cassava. Macmillan publication, London p.236-237.

ABSTRACT: This research work analyzed the economic empowerment of women in Agriculture through Microfinance Bank in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, with the view of ensuring Women in the area were economically empowered to greater production efficiency. Data were collected from 80 women farmers who were beneficiaries of the microfinance loans from Urban and Rural area of the Local Government, through a well structured questionnaire. The data was achieved using descriptive statistical table and Chi-square statistical techniques method. The result of the findings showed that 82.5% of the women were into crop production while 17.5% were into animal production. The analysis revealed that impact of microfinance loan is moderately high on the women practicing agriculture in the area. It also showed that the problems women are having towards getting and use of microfinance facilities in the area for agricultural production is high. The positive impact of the empowerment through microfinance banks ensured that the women of the area were self –reliance, economically empowered, improved in the living standards and house hold in general. However the study revealed that much still needed to be done as the women are yet to be fully empowered. Among the problems to effective achievement of set objectives is lack of collateral, lack of saving, poor technical know how and poor infrastructures. It is recommended among others that full empowerment facilities should be made available to rural women as an enabling environment for them to give out their best and that government should employ more extensionists especially females to guide and motivate the women to better productivity.

Keywords: Economic empowerment, living standards, microfinance loan, poor infrastructures and Agriculture

[1]. Ackerly, B. (1995). "Testing the tools of development" credit programmes, loans involvements and women‟s empowerment IDS Bulletin 26(3), Pp 56-68.
[2]. Adelaga, M.A. (2005). "Understanding the peculiar characteristic of microfinance clients in Nigeria". CBN proceeding of seminar in microfinance policy.
[3]. Chukwu, I.O.T (1981). "The role of women in village Development in income earning and participation in Massaka". SW Cameroon, Pan African institute for Development West Africa, Carmeroon (1981).
[4]. Dikaocha, A.E (1994). "Effect of rural Banking Scheme on Agricultural Development. A case study Abakaliki Agricultural zone of Enugu State unpublished B. Agric Thesis, Development of Agricultural Economics, university of Nigeria, Nsukka.
[5]. Herbert, B. (2001), Microcredit sustainability and Agricultural development in Nigeria. Being a paper presented at 2001 Annual conference of the Nigeria Association of Agricultural Economist (NAAE) hold at UNN, from June 11-13, 2009.

ABSTRACT: The study assessed the sources of information on climate change among arable crop farmers in Adamawa state, Nigeria. Lessons for Agricultural Extension and specifically, described the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and identified the sources of information on climate change among the respondents in the study area. A multi-stage random sampling technique was adopted to select 232 respondents for the study. Frequency count, percentage and mean were used to analyze the data of the study. Result revealed that, 58% of the respondents were below the mean age (41 years). Majority of them (66.6%) were males and 69% were married, with 78% of them having acquired one form of formal education or another. The mean farm size, year of farming experience and household size were 4.1 hectares, 16 years, and 8 people respectively. Majority (66.8%) had farming as their primary occupation. Friends, relations and fellow farmers were the most frequent sources of information on climate change among the respondents. It is recommended that, Extension providers should intensify the provision of extension services by insuring increased interaction between arable crop farmers and extension agents to complement indigenous knowledge from fellow farmers and friends and relations.

Key words: Arable crops, climate change, extension, farmers, information,

[1]. Adams, M.E., (1988). Agricultural Extension in Developing Countries. ELBS edition, Longman Singapore Publishing, Singapore.
[2]. Adebayo, A.A. (1999). Climate 11. In: Adamawa State in Maps. Adebayo,A.A. and Tukur, A.L. (eds) 1st Edition Paraclete Publishers Yola, Nigeria, pp 17-19, 81-83 and 96-99.
[3]. Akinbile, L.A. and Ndaghu, A.A. (2005). Access to Extension and Poverty Alleviating Strategies of Farm Families in Adamawa State. Nigeria Journal of Agricultural Extension.8 Pp1-6.
[4]. Ani, A.O. and Baba, S.A.(2009). Utilization of Selected Mass Media as Sources of Agricultural Information by Farmers in Northern Taraba. Tropical Agricultural Research and Extension 12 (1): 2009
[5]. Anthult, C.N. (1994). Getting ready for the twenty first century. Technical Change and institutional Modernization in Agriculture. World Bank Technical Paper 217, Washington D.C.

ABSTRACT: In nutshell, it is recognized that the economy of farmers in the district is largely agriculture based where contributing of farming communities has been recognized to be very important. The need of wheat recognized very steady progress in the district Dhar which can be achieved through adoption of improved wheat production technology including the variety of seed. The technological assets include a number of high yielding crop varieties, package of improved agro techniques and management of input use as well as resource management technologies which are still paying much towards enhancing productivity of wheat crop. . 80 respondents were selected randomly from the comprehensive list of beneficiaries under NAIP for wheat production selected by IARI during 2011-12 and 80 non-beneficiaries were selected from the same villages by using proportional method. The data revealed that improved wheat technology given additional yield of 11.70, 13.97 and 14.00 quintal per hectare as yield parameter of the area. As per the frequency higher than average value, the wheat growers confronted that "lack of sufficient resources and capital" was main constraint (ranked Ist) followed by "lack of technical guidance through scientist about improved technology" (ranked IInd), "lack of irrigation water" (ranked IIIrd), "not getting remunerative price" (ranked IVth) and "lack of electricity" (ranked Vth) respectively.

Keywords: Yield of wheat varieties, NAIP, IARI, Constraints in adoption

[1]. Alshi,M.R.; Bhole,B.D. and Bidwai,P.N. (1988). Constraints of improved technology for commercial crops: A case study of crops in Vidharbha. Indian.J.Agril.Econ. 43(3):525-26.
[2]. Behera,C. and Sahoo,M,S. (1975). Impact of national demonstration on adoption of agricultural practices. Indian J. Ext. Edu. 11:32-35.
[3]. Marothia,D.K. (1986). Farm level constraints to high yields of wheat and gram in Dharsiwa Block of Raipur District, Madhya Pradesh (mimeo). ISAE. Raipur, Madhya Pradesh, India; Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya. pp:41.
[4]. Pyasi,V.K.; Saxena,K.K.; Agrwal,S.K. and Mawara,Y.S. (2007). Impact of watershed development programme on dynamics of farmers life style. 4th National Ext.Edu. 21(1):36-40.
[5]. Raghuwanshi, Rajeev (2012). Impact of Farmer Field School (F.F.S.) on knowledge and adoption level of Wheat crop in Sanwer block of Indore district Madhya Pradesh. M.Sc.(Agri) Thesis Submitted to the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior

ABSTRACT: The physical, chemical and biological properties of a soil define soil quality which is fundamental for soil fertility. The objective of this study was to assess the spatial variability of these soil properties under four different agricultural land uses. The experiment was conducted at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training,(IAR&T), Nigeria.The land uses evaluated were mono cropping system with cocoa, grazed land, fallow land and a mixed cropping system (horticulture). Samples were taken randomly at each location consisting of 25 georeferenced points each, and bulked to form 5 composite samples for each location.The result showed that the surface soil textures are loamy sand except for the cocoa plantation soils which was sand, all the soils showed alkalinity, ranging from a pHof 7.43 to 8.09. Total Nitrogen ranged from 1.16-1.81kg/ha, Available P ranged from 0.51-1.40 kg/ha while potassium ranged from 0.15-0.25 Cmol/kg. Average microbial biomass C was from 129.18 to 200.04μgCg-1 while the average microbial biomass N was from 12.74 to 19.84 μgNg-1. Soil surface maps generated indicate that the soils are deficient in characteristics required for optimal production.This method can be used in determining relationships between agricultural land use and soil quality.

Keywords: Land use, Soil properties, Soil quality, Spatial variation

[1] P. Goovaerts, Geostatistical tools for characterizing the spatial variability of microbiological and physico-chemical soil properties, Biology Fertilizers and Soil, 27(4), 1998, 315-334.
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[4] C. A. Campos, L. K. Oleschko, B. J. Etchevers, and M. C. Hidalgo, Exploring the effect of changes in land use on soil quality on the eastern slope of the Cofre de Perote Volcano ( Mexico), Forest Ecology Management., 248, 2007, 174- 182.
[5] S. Sherwood, and N. Uphoff, Soil health: research, practice and policy for a more regenerative agriculture, Applied Soil Ecology, 15, 2000, 85-97

ABSTRACT: Heterodera sacchari, is recognised as one of the most important soil-borne pathogens affecting rice in Nigeria. Pot and field experiments were conducted to evaluate effect of H. sacchari on the chlorophyll content of five upland NERICA rice (NR) cultivars: NR1, NR2, NR3, NR8 and NR14. Three-week old rice plants in pots were each inoculated at: 0, 2,500, 5,000 and 10,000 eggs and juveniles, respectively in a 5x4 factorial in a complete randomised design (CRD) replicated 6 times. The field experiment was carried out on a H. sacchari naturally-infested field and the experimental design was a split-plot in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) replicated four times. Data were taken on leaf chlorophyll content using Minolta SPAD-502 meter. Final nematode population was determined from rice roots and soil. Root damage was accessed on a scale of 1-5. Where: 1= (0% no damage) and 5= (>75%severe root damage). Data were analyzed using ANOVA and means were separated with LSD at P≤0.05. Leaf chlorophyll content of NR cultivars reduced significantly in nematode infected plants when compared with the control in both pot and field trials. Leaf chlorophyll depleted with increasing H. sacchari densities. In the field, leaf chlorophyll significantly reduced over time, increased root damage, wilting and eventual death of rice plants. These led to patchiness in the field, reduced plant population/ha and overall yield reduction.

Keywords: cyst nematodes, chlorophyll, yield loss, juveniles, patchiness, NERICA rice.

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[2]. Agrios GN, 2005. Parasitism and Disease Development. In: Plant Pathology, Fifth edition Elsevier academic press, UK, p. 901.
[3]. Akpheokhai LI, Claudius-Cole AO, Fawole B, Tanimola AA, 2014. Screening for resistance to Heterodera sacchari infection in upland rice cultivars. JNKVV Res J 48(1), 36-42
[4]. Audebert A., Coyne DL, Dingkuhn M, Plowright RA, 2000. The Influence of Cyst Nematodes (Heterodera sacchari) and Drought on Water Relations and Growth of Upland Rice in Côte d' Ivoire.
[5]. Babatola JO, 1983. Pathogenicity of Heterodera sacchari on rice. Nematologia Meditterranea 11, 21-25.
[6]. Babatola JO, 1984. Rice Nematode Problems in Nigera; their occurrence, distribution and pathogenesis. Tropical Pest Management 30, 256-265.

ABSTRACT: Two investigations were carried out to study the combined effect of agro industrial wastes such as pressmud, a waste from sugar mill and lignite fly ash a by product from thermal unit on sorghum, cv.Co-1 during 2011 and 2012. The study revealed that lignite fly ash @ 10t ha⁻¹ + pressmud @ 12.5t ha⁻¹ significantly superior in all growth, yield and yield parameters of sorghum. Significantly higher yield per hectare (3.95t ha⁻¹) was recorded under this treatment when compared to control (2.47t ha⁻¹). With regard to sole application LFA, LFA @ 5t ha⁻¹ exerted other levels (10, 15 and 20t ha⁻¹). From this study it was suggested that LFA @ 10t ha⁻¹ with press mud and RDF had remarkable effect on sorghum crop for both the seasons.

Key words: Lignite fly ash (LFA), pressmud.

[1]. Kumari mani muthu veeral, D.2009. Utilization of industrial wastes in maize based cropping system. TNSCST. Stu. pro. rep. Annamalai Univ.
[2]. Kumari mani muthu veeral, D.2008. Recycling of industrial wastes in groundnut based cropping system. TNSCST. Stu. pro. rep . Annamalai Univ

ABSTRACT: Supernumenary teat is a congenital condition of ancillary teats in addition to the primary teats. In this study, we report for the first time the incidence of supernumerary teat in West African Goat in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria. There was 17% incidence of supernumerary teat in a flock of 18 WAD goats meant for a particular research work. The goats were source from different areas of Ibadan metropolis without observing for breeding soundness examination or considering the mammary gland before purchase. The condition was noted during ultrasound presentation of the doe for pregnancy evaluation. Goat with supernumerary can be bred successfully and contra-indication occurs when the goat has triplet as the third kid may be holding on to this non-functional teat. Supernumenary teat is of particular importance in dairy stock where it predisposes to mastitis as the unused teat serve as a good route for pathogens. It may also reduce milking efficiency as it constitutes hindrance to fitting of the milking machine to the udder. On the contrary, supernumenary teat may be useful for teat grafting to restore teat anatomy during an acute damage to primary teat tip. In this report, none of the kids from these goats exhibited supernumenary teat, in spite of the heritable nature of this condition. Further studies involving large stock in the study area are suggested. In conclusion, this report has emphasized the need for breeding soundness examination including mammary gland to identify and eliminate supernumenary teat during purchase of goat for research purpose especially in study that has to do with reproduction.

Keyword: Supernumenary teat, mammary gland, milk, goat.

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[3]. M. Brka, Reinsch, N. and E. Kalm, Determination of the inheritance pattern of hyperthelia in cattle by maximum likelihood analysis.Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 117, 2000, 425-431

[4]. J. Thomas, Divers, Simon Peek, Thomas J. Divers and Simon Peek, Rebhun's Diseases of Dairy Cattle (Missouri, US: Saunders Elsevier, 2008).

[5]. S. Oseni, Sonaiya, B., Omitogun, G., Ajayi, A and I. Muritala, West African Dwarf goat production under village conditions: 1. Characterisation and the establishment of breed standards, Conference on International Agricultural Research for Development University of Bonn, Germany, 2006, 1-5

ABSTRACT: Nanobiosensors represents a recent sensitive accurate diagnostic tool than convenient diagnosis of microbial pathogen. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection has increased steadily worldwide. In the present study a DNA nanobiosensor for mecA gene of MRSA detection was designed. Target gene detection was done by cross linking protocol (two probes method) using two different oligonucleotides probes that conjugated to two sets of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). The current method depended on optical properties of functionalized gold nanoparticles. Statistical analysis for the results showed specificity of 100 % and sensitivity of 90.9 % of the used technique in correlation with culture and standard coagulase tests as well as mecA PCR results. In conclusion: The presented mecA biosensor determined the correct genotype of MRSA strains in a colorimetric simple rapid procedure. Key words: Nanobiosensor, Staphylococcus Aureus, Gold Nanoparticles, veterinary medicine, mecA gene

[1]. Ali, M.A., Eldin, T.A.S., Moghazy, G.M. El, Tork, I.M., Omara, I.I., 2014. Detection of E . coli O157 : H7 in feed samples using gold nanoparticles sensor. Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci 3, 697–708.
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ABSTRACT: In recent years , green tea has become a subject of interest because of beneficial effects on human health The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of daily oral administration of green tea polyphenols for 30 days on plasma FSH and LH hormones and tissues of uterus and ovary in Wister rat's that treated with cadmium sulfate to show the preventive and curative effects of green tea polyphenols. This experimental was carried out in animal hospital of veterinary medicine in Al-Qadisiya university. Twenty four of animals from female rats were used .the animals were divided to four groups(six animal/group) which are control group (given water and food only) and three of treatment groups ,the first treatment group was given 50 mg/L from cadmium sulfate with drinking water, the second treatment group was given cadmium sulfate (50mg/L) and 400 mg/kg of B.W from polyphenols ,and the third treatment group was given polyphenols only (400mg/kg of B.W) the drenching was lasting for thirty days for all groups ,all groups housed under same condition .The level of FSH and LH were measured in plasma. Thehistological sections of uterus and ovary were examined . The results of this study revealeda significant decrease (P<0.5) in level ofFSH and LH in first treatment group that was drenched cadmium sulfate compare with control group ,also the histological study was indicate damage in ovary and uterustissue. while, in second treatment group that was given polyphenols and cadmium sulfate the result shown to improve in ovary and uterus tissues and significant increase (P<0.05) in level of FSH and LH in compare with first treatment group and the results of this study indicated a significant increase(P<0.05) in FSH and LH in third treatment group that was given polyphenols only compare with other groups.

Key word: green tea ,polyphenol, cadmium sulfate, ovary ,uterus ,FSH, LH.

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